What are the four C's that are referred to when shopping for diamonds?

Answer 1

The four Cs to consider when shopping for diamonds are cut, color, clarity and carat weight. These are the factors by which every diamond is judged: every diamond is unique in these factors based on the combination involved. All four Cs are quality categories.

• The cut of a diamond refers to how well the diamond's proportions conform to an ideal standard. It is a measure of the quality of the cut. The shape of the stone is also called cut and this is often confusing, but when referring to the four Cs cut means the quality of the cut. Types of cuts include:
  • round brilliant
  • marquis
  • emerald
  • pear
  • and more, depending on the raw stone.
• There are a number of different grades of color for diamonds and diamonds of different colors.
  • Colorless diamonds are rated on a scale from D to Z, with D being the clearest and most rare and Z being visibly yellow.
  • Coloured diamonds -- 27 named colors, plus hyphenated color names -- are graded ranging from Faint to Fancy Vivid in nine steps.
• The clarity of a diamond indicates whether or not the diamond has visible, gradable features -- visible at 10X. The rarest and most expensive diamonds are flawless; most have gradable features. Grades include with sub-categories not listed:
  • Flawless
  • Very slightly included
  • Slightly included
  • Included
• The carat weight of a diamond is sometimes equated to its 'size'. A quarter of a carat diamond (0.25ct) is smaller than a one (full) carat diamond. One carat weighs 0.20 grams.

Answer 2

The 4Cs of diamonds is the universal method for assessing the quality of any diamond, anywhere in the world and is standard. All diamonds are rated based on the following: Color - most people believe diamonds to be clear or colorless, the majority of diamonds are yellow, brown, and black. The rarest of all diamond colors are white (or colorless). The Gemological Institute of America (G.I.A.) grades color alphabetically from D (totally colorless) to Z (yellow).For a diamond to be considered “colorless,†the G.I.A. requires that it be a D, E, or F. However, the D-Z scale is continuous, so the difference between an F and G is very small. The average color for engagement diamonds in the retails industry is G to H. Carat weight - a carat is actually a standard unit of measure that defines the weight of a diamond. One carat is equivalent to 200 milligrams. Carat sizes are also expressed as “pointsâ€, with a one carat diamond equaling 100 points, a one-half carat diamond being 50 points, a three-quarter carat diamond being 75 points, and so on. Clarity - A diamond’s clarity refers to the presence of identifying characteristics on and within the diamond. Diamonds are graded for clarity under 10x loupe magnification. Clarity grades range from Internally Flawless, diamonds which are completely free of blemishes and inclusions even under 10 x magnifications, to Imperfect 3, diamonds which possess large, heavy blemishes and inclusions that are visible to the naked eye. Cut – that’s a reference to the diamond’s reflective qualities, not the shape. Diamond cut is perhaps the most important of the four Cs, so it is important to understand how this quality affects the properties and values of a diamond. A good cut gives a diamond its brilliance, which is that brightness that seems to come from the very heart of a diamond. The angles and finish of any diamond are what determine its ability to handle light, which leads to fire, brilliance & scintillation